Tag Archives: Finding

We often press forward,crossing items off of the proverbial “bucket list”, reaching for the next level in our fitness, clearing out those numerous e-mails before we leave our desk, learning how to use a new tool, and so on. In our culture what’s new is constant new offerings every day.

And yet, it’s also wonderful to look at something old in a new way. Maybe you haven’t played a musical instrument that you’ve enjoyed, for many years; a new reed, a polishing cloth, a few false starts and your delight returns; Same is true for most hobbies … picking up that paint brush, finally altering your aunts old wool coat with its memories to fit a new generation; seeing an old relationship in a new way, minus the personal feelings evoked and so on.

I experienced that this week in looking at an old image in a new way because of an improved post processing procedure. A clearer picture now, taken on a beautiful fall day in November … was actually a 4 year old image made in July. As we transition through our seasons, we can reflect on the old in the today and often find new insights.
IBK

No matter where we go today we encounter the world of the perpetual “perfect” as spoken in cliche in many interactions. I don’t think ‘perfect’ gives us enough vocabulary to describe a current situation and/or an often challenging transition that one might be in the midst of. So today I encourage you to embrace the freedom of the imperfect …whatever that means for you.

Today’s image breaks a lot of the ‘rules’ of photography but in the course of several gloomy days in a wet 2010 spring, it was an imperfect image that captured a beautiful moment of grace as I walked my neighborhood that day.

Many times when we are in transition we choose or have to learn skills not previously known that will help us travel a new path. This week I’ve been reading a book by Chuck DeGroat entitled: Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion and Healing the Divided Self. I was particularly drawn to a a section in chapter 7 about “returning to our core, recovering our true self”.

…”But this is the journey – from that lonely, exposed place where we find ourselves after clawing our way to the top, to the lush valley below with streams of living water. The journey is from a place of exhaustion to a place of rest, from a place of fragmentation to a place of wholeness and wholeheartedness. … in contrast to the upward mobility of our world, this is the way of downward mobility.I (Chuck) call this a descent into wholeness…. We become more whole as we unburden ourselves as we let go of what we thought we needed in order to experience what we already have.”

This last line of the quotation above, made its home in my thoughts today. I/We so often work so hard to get to or through something with our own effort and timelines when if we would pause to engage with what we already have, we might discover some burden we could leave behind as we journey forth.

Today’s image was made on a day where I hit the pause button and noticed the light on a pepper in the windowsill . It attracted my attention and provided, and still provides, delight.

In November of 2016 I spent the weekend in New Orleans to participate in a surprise 70th birthday event for a dear friend of 42 years. Having arrived a day early, and settled at the Auld Sweet Olive Bed and Breakfast ,I ventured out with a map. I was in a residential neighborhood called Faubourg Marigny, which, along with my inn, an 1830’s creole house, was a plethora of colorful residential historic homes of the “artsy” variety.The instructions by my host were simple: out the door and to the left, and another left and right and I would find my way to the French Market area; out the door and to the right several parks and other areas of interest. All went well on day one .

The next morning I explored in greater depth and made my left, left, right and then saw a sign indicating that a foot bridge was ahead and where there’s a bridge there’s usually water, so straight ahead. Hours later I looked at my map and turned away from the beautiful urban park along the Mississippi River and found the street to return “home”. I realized that I’d made a mistake and started asking people if I was headed in the right direction. Some said yes, others no idea; it was getting dark and my feet were hurting. I approached an older woman who was standing on the sidewalk. “Excuse me, could you tell me if I’m heading in the right direction to get back to …?” She looked at my map, put her hand on my shoulder and with a lovely southern accent proclaimed: “Well my dear, you’ve walked yourself right off of your own map.” She told me that it would take “at least an hour” but I would get there by following the path I was on . “Once you cross the railroad track, you’ll be just about home” she called after me.

Today’s image was taken on a side street near the French Quarter away from the crowds and for just a second on a cloudy day, as I looked back at where I had come to …”off of my map”, I was rewarded with light. 🙂 May your “off the map” exploration assist you in seeing new opportunities in whatever stage of transition you might be in, wherever you are.

Hello dear readers. It’s been a while but somehow today seems to be the end of something and a gradual re-entry into something else. After weeks of pitching, condensing and packing to put our house on the market here in Denver, and partially moving into a rental apartment on the 9th floor overlooking the Denver Botanic Garden, I needed renewal. My camera parts were still in the case and I was too fatigued to lug anything else around, so on a late afternoon visit the other day, I grabbed my cell-phone and took a quick walk to the garden before closing.

Surprise, surprise, the new Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit which opens on June 14 and continues into November, was starting to appear in the garden pools and paths. For the next hour I forgot all but the beauty in front of me . I got out my cell-phone camera and took a few pictures to map shots for a more detailed shoot at a later date. It was at that moment that I realized that during one of the most stressful times and transitions in my adult life, I had forgotten to do what brings me great joy and peace as a counter- balance to all of the chaos. And so it goes.

Hoping that as you continue with transitions in your own life, that you remember to include what brings you joy and renewal on your list of many tasks.

I’d also like to encourage you to check out more about Dale Chihuly at www.chihuly.com

Finally, it seems to be spring more than just according to the calendar, and I hope that where you are , there are surprises in your surroundings (or perhaps your hearts) that seemed so hidden during this especially long winter. In my first spring here in Denver (2009) I was just learning how to use a digital camera that I had purchased in 2008 when there were many transitions that were important to capture for later viewing: one son graduating from college, another getting married 2 weeks later, and a move to a new city after 40 years in another.

So, on a beautiful spring morning I walked down to Sloan’s Lake about 15 minutes from my home and began the 2 1/2 mile trail around the lake, camera in hand, looking for a picture “to take.” Fortunately I didn’t find one, rather it found me. Today’s image is one of five that someone carved on the trunks of large trees that had been cut down perhaps because of disease, but rather, I imagine, to make room for a new playground right next to it/them.

Wishing you delight and joy as you wander into a new season with it’s promises, perhaps also some pruning to make room for something yet to grow.

We are used to seeing things in certain ways that help us recognize familiarity. Putting letters of a familiar word, as in our image today, in a non-standard position can make us feel uncomfortable. It can also make us stop and think about how else we might want to express something familiar in a new way to perhaps look at the parts that make up the whole or find a new application.

Our word today is a familiar one and we all have experienced what it feels like to be truly welcomed by someone; or perhaps we invite people in to our spaces to share our life in some way with them; we used to say you’re welcome when someone thanked us for something, but now we often hear: “no problem,” which seems to answer something else.

I’d welcome the opportunity for some feedback about how you welcome the stranger in your midst(or family and friends.) Perhaps you struggle to interact with those who are not you or don’t interest you. Why is that? These are some questions I’ve been living with this week. I send them on for further pondering.

Sometimes when many words have been spoken, a time of silence is renewing. Being with and not doing for is a wonderful change of habit. After an intense period of time, a shift in focus brings new awareness. Sometimes a picture is enough with few words necessary.

Wishing all of you an intentional time of reflecting on the beautiful in your life and how you are blessed by it.

My father was a German master cabinet maker. New projects began with a trip to the small town lumber yard where we lived. He would look through the various offerings and then make a choice based on the end use , the hardness or softness, the straightness of the piece, the unique grain running through it and so on. I would watch him draft a plan for the object ; measure, cut, plane, sand, smooth, file, turn, nail together, dovetail, glue, bore, chisel and numerous other processes to get the end result. The best part of all was when it was all ready for finishing. In photography we call it post processing. The intent is the same, to take a well crafted wooden article (or a well composed photo) and bring out the best from the raw material. In wood-working this is usually done by adding a stain to bring out the beauty of the unfinished grain. My father disliked covering up the grain with paint. Today’s manufactured particle board has to be covered up since there’s no unique grain.

In the Biblical book of Proverbs 22:6 we are told to “train up a child in the way they should go and when old they will not depart from it.” The lesson is that instead of conforming our children to our desires and dreams for them, we actually are encouraged to help them find and recognize their “bent” and then provide an environment for that to develop and to provide boundaries and correction when off the path.

As we mature, it is often hard to continue to honor that bent among the many novelties calling out for our attention.

Today’s image comes once again from the Queen City Architectural Salvage Yard here in Denver where the discarded can be restored and transformed with love to once again delight in its bent.

It’s very interesting how things that we’re struggling with “all of a sudden” resolve. One day, without notice, something that has been taking away so much of our physical and mental effort, finds it proper proportion in our life, or even disappears. It was one of those weeks for me. I was grateful for a negative result on a diabetes test and all that would have implied. The gratitude turned into action as I examined the layers of denial that I had piled on during the last few months.

All of the things that I can do, (and know how to) to stay healthy, both physically and emotionally and spiritually, I decided to take a sabbatical from. Who knows if it was rebellion, passive-agressive behavior, or perhaps just a realization that in our very human transitions, we sometimes just need a long “soak” in a dry tub. Having no idea of what’s next, but trusting my creator,redeemer,sustainer to provide what I don’t even know I need. Until then, we can take small next actions, engaging again in habits that satisfy and then gradually … the old is new again.

Today’s image comes from the Queen City Salvage Yard here in Denver; a delightful garden of oldness tucked underneath a busy I 70 East viaduct. Here so close and yet so far away from the cacophony of daily activity, are yesterdays front doors, and old car bodies; tools and gadgets from another time, once on grandfather’s tool bench; and rusted hand pumps used to bring cool water to the farm and town kitchens before pvc pipe carried the running water to the faucet.

The paint is peeling on the door in our image but look at the beautiful grain and pattern underneath. Someone will find this new old door and in just the right season – wherever it goes, it will be just the right thing .